Brooder



L. F. MOTT Jan. 9, i934.

BROODER Filed April 13, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l L 'ZMOZ Z.

/' mwvmp L. F. MOTT Jan. 9, 1934.

BROODER Filed April 13, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A Rid 022 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 9, 1934. L. F. MOTT BROODER' Filed April 15, 1952 llll m II I fi,

mw A 5 =3 q M MN 5 %w 5 \N in Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide a brooder of inexpensive construction which will provide ample ventilation and permit the chicks to obtain adequate exercise, and to feed, while,

' 5 at the same time, it will provide means for maintaining the chicks at the proper temperature Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the heat furnished to the brooder will be most adequately utilized and an unnecessary consumption of fuel will be avoided. Other objects of the invention will appear incidentally in the course of the following description and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a brooder embodying "the present improvements,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a frame which is supported upon legs 1, of any convenient and suitable form, which are preferably arranged in rectangular relation, the frame consisting of side plates 2 secured to the upper portions of the legs, as shown and as will be understood. Over the top of the frame is a covering 3, preferably of reticulated material, so as to provide for the admission of light and air to the space within the frame for the benefit of the young chicks. Intermediate the height of the side plates, an open frame 4 is secured thereto and upon this frame is a floor 5 preferably of wire netting so that while it will provide a firm support for the young chicks moving about upon the same no matter can collect there-' on to produce an unsanitary condition and injuriously affect the health of the chicks. At the bottom of the frame is provided a tray consisting of an open framework 6 having a ply of canvas or other textile material 7 secured thereover and upon which sheets of paper, indicated at 8, may be placed. The frame 6 is secured to one side of the upper main frame 2 by hinges, as indicated at 9, and at the opposite side it is supported by hooks 10 engaging suitable keepers upon the side of the main frame so that this tray may be lowered, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, whenever such attention is deemed desirable. The tray fits closely to the lower edges of the main frame and thereby prevents the entrance of cold air upwardly through the door 5 to chill the chicks and retard their growth and cause other bad effects. In three of the side or end plates 2, slots 11 are formed and on the outer sides of these plates, above the slots, are provided hangers consisting of plates 12 having their lower edges turned outwardly and upwardly to form hooks or flanges 13 which are adapted to be engaged by re-entrant flanges 14 along the upper edges of plates 15 which form the back walls of feed troughs, shown at 16. These feed troughs are preferably formed of sheet metal so'that they will be light and strong and may be easily handled. Through the back wall of each feed trough are openings 17 arranged in series extending from end to end of the trough and of proper dimensions to admit the head of a chick so that he may feed from the trough, as will be understood. The troughs may be easily placed in position and when in position the openinns 17 through the backs thereof will register with the slots 11, as shown and as will be understood. Ihe troughs may be very easily removed when the brooder is to be shipped and an economy in space may be thereby effected.

At one end of the brooder is provided a hover and in said end a door 18 is provided to permit access to the hover and removal of the chicks therefrom as they reach advanced stages of development'. The hover consists of an open frame 19 having a ply of textile material such as light flannel, indicated at 20, secured over its underside and the frame rests upon cleats 2 1, or like elements, secured upon the adjacent sides of the main brooder frame. The hover frame 19 rests against the end wall of the main frame, immediately above the door 18, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, and upon the inner side of the hover frame is secured an apron 22 of flannel or similar material which depends therefrom to the floor and terminates in spaced relation to the sides of the brooder, as shown at 23, to provide open spaces through which the chicks may pass to and from the hover. To minimize possible drafts and to prevent the chicks crowding in the corners of the hover, space, shields 24, preferably of metal are secured to the outer corners of the hover frame and depend therefrom to the floor, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3.

Across the end of the brooder, and immediately above the hover, is a heat flue 0r conduit 25 which is preferably constructed of sheet metal and is supported by the sides of the brooder main frame, extending through openings or recesses provided therefor. The ends of this flue or heat conduit project beyond the sides of the brooder and the walls of the brooder may be reinforced around the ends of the conduit by metallic plates 26 secured to the sides of the brooder frame, as shown. The ends of the flue are closed by caps 27 secured therein and in the bottom of the flue, adjacent each end, is an opening 28 defined by a depending rim 29 in wltdch is engaged the upper end of a chimney 30 rising from a lamp 31.

The lamp is supported upon a shelf 32 which is secured to the adjacent side of the brooder frame and projects laterally therefrom so that the lamp will be firmly supported in the proper position. As shown clearly at the right side of Fig. 3, the lamp is provided with two wicks so that the heat supplied may be very nicely regulated, and a glazed opening 33 in the chimney permits observation of the flames at all times. Within the flue, immediately over each opening 28, there is provided a hood or canopy 34 consisting of a sheet metal plate having its edge portions turned upwardly and its intermediate portion of arcuate formation, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, the upturned ends 35 abutting the top of the flue so that the intermediate arched portion of the plate will be held in spaced relation to the top of the flue, the hood being secured to the flue by a bolt inserted through the center of the hood, as shown at 36, and through the top of the flue. A short outlet tube 3'? is provided on the upper side of the flue, at the center of the same, and the heat from the lamps will travel from the ends of the flue toward the center thereof so that it will pass over the entire area of the hover and impartwarmth thereto. The tube or nozzle 3'7 fits within the lower end of a pipe 38 which may be of any desired length and may communicate with an outlet chimney or flue from the room in which the brooder is placed. This pipe 38 is carried by an imperforate cover 39 preferably of sheet metal which extends over the brooder, across one end of the same, and has its inner edge extendingdownwardly, as shown at 40, to provide a deflector whereby heat radiated from the flue 25 will be turned downwardly toward the floor of the brooder and be caused to play upon the apron 22 to impart warmth to the same. A reflector plate 41 is secured on the underside of the cover 39 and extends from side to side of the brooder over the flue so that heat rising from the flue will be turned back and thrown directly upon the sheet 20 so as to maintain the desired temperatur in the latter. I have found that by providing the hoods or canopies 34 at the ends of the heat flue, a circulation within the flue is set up which is highly efflcient in causing a proper distribution of the heat and preventing excessive heating of the ends of the flue.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided an exceedingly compact, inexpensive and efflcient brooder whereby young chicks will be developed in a natural manner. The hover will provide suflicient heat to maintain the chicks comfortable in cool weather and when the chicks are warm they may obtain ample exercise by moving about upon the floor 5. Food and water will be provided in the feed troughs 16 so that proper sustenance will be at hand for the chicks, and light and air may reach them through the reticulated top 3 as well as through the openings 1'? in the troughs and the slotsll in the walls of the brooder. The hover will apply the heat directly to the backs of the chicks as the cloth 20 will press thereon and thus apply the heat to their bodies where it is most needed.

Having thus described the invention, I claim,

1. A brooder comprising an open top frame, a reticulated cover secured Over the open top of the frame, a floor of open mesh material within the frame, a hover supported in the frame at one end of the same, a heat flue extending across the frame above the hover and having its ends projecting laterally beyond the frame and its intermediate portion provided with an outlet, and means for supplying heat to the flue at the projecting ends thereof.

2. A brooder comprising an enclosing frame, a hover supported in said frame at one end of the same and including an open frame, a ply of textile material secured across the frame and an apron of like material secured to and depending from the inner side of the frame, a heat flue extending across the frame above the hover and having its opposite ends projecting laterally beyond said frame and its intermediate portion provided with an outlet, and means for supplying heat to the projecting ends of said flue. I A brooder comprising an enclosing frame having a door at one end, a hover supported within the frame at said end thereof above said door, a heat flue extending across said end of the frame above the hover and having its opposite ends projecting laterally beyond the frame and its inter-' mediate portion provided with an outlet, and means for applying heat to the projecting ends of the flue.

4. A brooder comprising an enclosing frame, a

hover supported within said frame at one end thereof, a heat flue extending across the frame above the hover and provided with an outlet in its top at the center thereof, means for supplying heat to said flue at the ends of the" same, an im-J- perforate plate secured across the brooder be tween the reticulated cover and flue and having a downwardly inclined deflector depending from its inner edge to direct heat towardthe front of the hover, and a heat reflecting plate secured on the underside of said plate and terminating at the upper portion of the deflector.

6. A brooder comprising an enclosing frame, a hover supported in the frame at one end of the same, a heat flue extending across the frame above the hover and having its ends projecting beyond the sides of the frame and provided in its bottom at said ends with openings-and in its top intermediate said ends with an outlet, heaters engaged in said openings to supply heat to the flue, and means on the sides of the brooder frame to support the heaters. 7. A brooder comprising an enclosing frame, a hover supported in the frame at one end thereof,

a heat flue extending across the frame above the hover and provided with an intermediate outlet, means for supplying heat to said flue at the ends of the same, and hoods secured in the flue at the ends of the same over the heat-supplying means,

said hoods comprising arcuate plates disposed in spaced relation to the top of the flue.

LEE-F. MOTT. [L. 5.] 

